The Associated PressSprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch (22) looks over his engine during practice at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., Friday, Oct. 21, 2011.

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(October 22, 2011)

TALLADEGA, Ala.—At Talladega, necessity can make for strange drafting partners.

Penske Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch don’t plan to work together in Sunday’s Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway—at least not initially.

Both drivers are fighting for a championship this year—Keselowski and Busch being sixth and seventh in the standings, 25 and 27 points behind leader Carl Edwards, respectively—and both think their best prospects for a win at Talladega lie with other partners.

Busch will pair off with Regan Smith in a combination that has worked well on restrictor-plate tracks since the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona in February. Keselowski plans to work with Dave Blaney, who was strong at Talladega in the spring.

Blaney and Smith drive Chevrolets, while Keselowski and Busch are the flagship Dodge drivers. At Talladega, however, allegiance to a particular manufacturer takes a back seat to performance on the racetrack.

Other drivers have the luxury of working with teammates who didn’t make the Chase: Jeff Gordon with Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick with Paul Menard, Kyle Busch with Joey Logano, Edwards with Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth with David Ragan, for example.

Since Keselowski and Busch are in the hunt, it’s perhaps best that they don’t tie their fortunes together. And they can still rely on each other as a backup plan.

“I think ‘Plan A’ is definitely is to work with Dave Blaney,” Keselowski said after Friday afternoon’s second practice session. “I’m excited about Dave. He seems to be a real a real good guy that you can talk to and work with.